Buffer for railway cars



Jan. 27, 1948. I w, MARSH 2,434,944 7 BUFFER FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Nov. 25, 1944 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Jan. 27, 1948 BUFFER FOR RAILWAY CARS John W. Marsh, Alexandria, Va., assignor of one.-

fourth to Florence E. Marsh, one-fourth to Marianne Marsh, and one-fourth to Mary Marsh, all of Alexandria, Va.

Application November 25, 1944, Serial No. 565,122

This invention relates cars of the type shown in my co-pending application filed November 9, 1944, Serial Number 562,655, and is concerned more particularly with a novel buffer which is an improvement on that shown in the application referred to.

The objects, and advantages of the present inventionwill become apparent upon a consideration of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the attached drawings,

in which 7 Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a buffer construction embodying the elements of the present invention. The upper portion of this figure is taken along the line I-I of Fig, 2, and the lower portion along the line IB of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, the left portion of which is taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and the .right portion of which is taken along the line I'I of Fig. 1. Y

Fig. 3 is a side view of the bufier lock.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the buffer lock.

Referring to the drawings it will be seen that there is provided a cylindrical housing I, on one end of which is a flange portion 2 suitable for attachment to the frame of a railway vehicle. The flanged end is partially closed, the closure being provided with an opening 3 of non-circular outline. The open end ofthe housing has inwardly projecting lips 4, 5, 6, 7 formed thereon and spaced uniformly around the inner periphery of the housing, and extending over less than half of said inner periphery leaving spaces 8, 9, II], II therebetween.

The buffer includes a plunger, which is provided at its outer end with a boiling head I2, attached to a cylindrical portion I3. which is adapted to oscillate within the inner peripheries of lips 4, 5, 6, I. The inner end of cylindrical portion I3 is provided with outwardly projecting sectors as I4, I5, I6, spaced uniformly around the periphery and adapted to oscillate within the cylindrical housing I, and within spaces 8, 9, II], II,

A buffer lock I8, shownin more detail in Figs.

3, 4, is mounted within the housing I and it is provided with a base I9 having an inner surface 20 suitable for engaging spring 24, and an outer surface 2I suitable for engaging the inner surface of the closed end of the housing. Base I9 is provided with a projection H, which is of a noncircular outline corresponding to that of opening 3 and is adapted to be received in that opening to hold the lock against rotational movement within the housing. Buifer lock I8 is also provided with means cooperating with means on the to buffers for railway 5 Claims- ((1213-2211 cylindrical portion Iiiof the plunger to hold the lock and plunger against relative rotational movement while permitting relative axial movement thereof. In the construction illustrated,,such

means on the lock take the form of keys 22, 23.

and the means on the plunger are walls of the projecting sectors I4, I5, and I6,

A spring 24 is positionedwithin cylindrical portion I3, abutting buffer head I2 and the inner surface 29 of lock I8, in-a manner as to continually urge the buffer plungerfoutwardlyof housing I and retain Surface 2| in contact with the inner surface of the housing closure. The central portion of the spring 24 is shown broken away in Fig.

1 to more clearly show the construction of outwardly flaring sector I5.

The assembly of the bufier is accomplished by inserting bufier lock I8 in'housing I. base I9 passin within the inner periphery of'lips 4, 5, 6, 1,

and keys 22, 23 passing through openings 9, II between lips 4, 5, and 6, I. Buffer lock I8 is then rotatedv within housingl until the projection I1 is angularly displaced from registry with opening 3, while keys 22, 23 are aligned with diametrically opposite lips 4, 5 0r '5,:1. Spring 24 is then inserted, abutting the inner surface 20 of base I9. The

outwardly projecting. sectors as I4, I5. I6 are passed between lips 4, 5,6, I and keys 22, 23 enter the spaces between diametrically opposite sectors. Axial movement of the buffer plunger is continued toward the base closure of housing I, compressing spring 24 until the outwardly projecting sectors as I4, I5, I6 pass lips 4,5, 6, I, whereupon the cylindrical portion I3 is rotated within housing I, rotating lock I8 with it, until projection I'I registers with opening 3 and enters that opening under the pressure of the spring. In this position of the housing, the sectors I4, etc, are aligned with lips 4, etc. and further rotation of the housing is prevented by engagement of projection I'I within openin 3, such engagement being retained by the axial force of spring 24.

Disassembly of the bufier is accomplished by forcing lock I8 towards buffer face I2, against axial pressure of spring 24 until projection I1 is disengaged .from opening 3. The buffer plunger and lock are then rotated within housing I until the outwardly projecting sectors as I4, I5, I6 are aligned with the spaces as 8, 9, III, II between lips 4, 5, 6, I, whereupon the buffer plunger and spring can be removed axially. Rotation of lock I8 within housing I until keys 2,2, 23 are aligned with spaces, such as 8, 9, II), II, between lips 4, 5. 6,1,

the spirit of this invention. Moreover, that a;

greater or less number of keys may be used on the lock, and the keys may engage the outwardly projecting portions of the plunger either between the portions as shown, or within the portions as shown and described in myooepending applioaa tion Serial No. 562,655.

These and other modifications of my invention will suggest themselves to oneskilled in the-art.

the housing having an opening of non-circular outline extending through its closed end, a lock member within the housing having a projection of non-circular outline received within said opening and engaging the walls thereof to hold the lock member and housing against relative rotation, the lock member having portions engageable with; the plunger projections to prevent, relative rotation of the lock member and plunger while permitting their relative longitudinal movement, and spring means within the plunger and housing acting on the closed end of the plunger and on the lock memberto maintain the projection on the lock member within said opening in the closed end of the housing.

3 A buiier comprising a housing having one end open and the other substantially closed and The embodiments shown and the embodiments claimed are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes thatcoirie within the m'ej'a'n and ran e of equivalency of the embodiments showtiand the embodiments claimedare. therefore intended to beembracedthereiri- Havingdescribed mymyenuon, What I claim is new andwish to secure. by Letters Patent is:

1 A buffercomprising a housing having one end open and the other substantially closed and also having ciroumferentially spaced inward projections atL- ts. outere'nd, a hollow p un er e ding into the housing through its open end and nemesis be mov dax a lir r lative to the housn -the exposed end of the. pl nger being s b tantially closed'aud. the plunger having circ mferentially spaced outward projections lying within the housing, an eng geable behind the housing projections to limit the outward movement of the Plunger. from the housing, the projections on the. plunger being. adapted, upon partial relative rotation of the housing and plunger, to be, passed between the housing projections, the housing. having an open n f n na outlinein its-closed slid, the opening having side walls extendin substantially Parallel tothe longitud'inal axis; of the. housing, a, lock member within thejhousing having a. rojection received within said opening, the side surfaces of said projection extendin substantially parallel to and engaging corresponding side wall of said openingto hold the. lock member and housing against relative-- rotation, the lock member and plunger having illterengagihg means preventing relative rotationot the lock member and plunger while permitting their relative longitudinal movement,

andsm ing means Within the plunger and housing acting on-the closed end of the plunger and on the 1601; member to maintain the projection on the lock member in said: opening in the closed nd of thehousin 2, A buffer comprising a housing having one end open and the other substantially closed and also having. eircumferentially spaced inward projections stirs outer end,.a hollow plunger extending into the. housing through its, open end and adapted to be moved axially relative to the housing, the exposed endof the plunger being substahtiallyclosed and the plunger having circumferentially spaced outward projections lying within the housing and enga able behind the Qu I ig; Proje tions. to limit the outward movemam or the plunger from the housing, the pro jections on the plunger being adapted, upon par-w tial relative. rota ono 'the' h usi a d pl e to be passed between the housing projections,

alsohaving circumferentially spaced inward projections at its outer end, a hollow plunger extending into the housing through its open end and adapted to be moved axially relative to the housing, the exposed end of the plunger being substantially closed and the plunger having circumferentially spaced outward projections lying within the housing and engageable behind the housing projections to limit the outward movement of the plunger from the housing, the projections on the plunger being adapted, upon partial relative rotation of the housing and plunger, to be passed between the housing projections, the housing having an opening of non-circular outline extending through its closed end, the opening having side walls extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing, a lock member within the housing having a projection received Within said opening, the side surfaces of said projection extendingsub'stantially parallel to and engaging corresponding side walls of said opening to hold the lock member and housingagainst relative rotation, the lock memberhaving key means engageable with the projections on the plunger to prevent relative rotation of the plunger and lock member while permitting their relative longitudinal movement, and-spring means Within the plunger and housing acting on the hind and aligned with the projections on thehousing, the projections on the plunger being adapted, upon relative rotation of the housing and plunger, to be passed between the projections on the housing, a lock member within the housing, the lock member and plunger each having means positively engaging the other to prevent relative angular movement of the plunger and member while permitting their relative axial movement, interengaging means on the lock member and on the housing adjacent its'closed end operable to prevent relative rotation of the lock member and housing, and spring means within the housing and plunger engaging at one end the closed outer end of the plunger and, at the other end, a portion of the lock member, said p ng meansa t ne to ho the i terengag ue means on the lock member and housing in operative relation, whereby the projections on the plunger are maintained in alignment with those on the housing.

5. A buffer comprising a housing having one end substantially closed and provided at its open end with circumferentially spaced inward projections, a hollow plunger mounted in the housing for sliding movement within the projections and having a portion extending out of the housing, the exposed end of the plunger being closed, the portion of the plunger within the housing having circumferentially spaced outward projections behind and aligned with the projections on the housing, the projections on the plunger being adapted, upon relative rotation of the housing and plunger, to be passed between the projections on the housing, a lock member within the housing having an end portion seated against the closed end of the housing, the lock member and plunger having inter-engaging means preventing relative angular movement of the lock member and plunger while permitting their relative axial movement, means on the lock member and on the housing adjacent its closed end positively 

